Does anyone even listen to the radio anymore? I often ask myself this question on a daily basis. I mean when I turn on the radio I hear the same songs over and over again but what I find weird is that I often end up singing these songs. I don’t like these songs but most of them are very catchy with memorable lyrics. In fact it puzzles me how songs so stupid and basic are so successful. For example, I hear this song called “Pretty Boy Swag” all the time by rapper named Soulja Boy.

When I hear this song I think about the state of music today and how the quality of hip hop music is deteriorating. I used to listen to rappers who rapped for a purpose and a cause, not just for fun. Now I just hear a bunch of random lines that mean absolutely nothing. What I can say is that artist these days are getting a lot smart and have certainly picked up on something called market segmentation. This refers to a shift in the marketing world and public in order to better cater to consumers and their specific tastes. Popular culture is always changing so people are going to want to hear what is “hip” at the time. Peoples tastes say in the 1990’s were more focused on songs with meaning and something you could relate too. Currently, I hear a lot of simple dance tracks that have no meaning at all but are still extremely catchy. I think this is a negative thing because the current generation is going to grow up listening to music that has no meaning. When kids hear songs about girls, money and cars they want to try and fulfill those things in life. Artist have to realize that people look up to them and their music affects them, but I guess if people want to hear it, you’ve got to let it play.

Recently I went to the movies with my girlfriend and saw Black Swan. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it and was really looking forward to seeing it. It was pretty good overall until it got to a very intimate scene where a man was masturbating a girl. Immediately I noticed a small amount of laughing throughout the theatre which I found odd. When the movie was finished I noticed that there was a large amount of kids in the movie and automatically wondered what the movie was rated.

After a while I realized that the rating was 14-A. Film, being one of cultures biggest industries in culture today, should be looked at more carefully. A lot of reviews rave about this film being a work of art and talk about how amazing it is but a little common sense should have been used to rate this film. When I think about culture today I automatically start to notice that sexuality is becoming more and more acceptable throughout society but specifically in films. I believe the people who are producing these films no what they are doing when it comes to consumerism. They alter films to address the wants and needs of people today but to allow fourteen year old kids into that movie is crazy in my opinion. To some adults this movie is aesthetic which refers to it being a work of art or beauty but not to the kids who watch it. To the kids it’s just something to get a kick out of and something that is clearly inappropriate. More work is being looked at as epic and a work of art. But is this really the case?

The other day I turned on the television and decided to watch a popular show called “Jersey Shore”. Why it’s so popular is what I’m still trying to figure out but I gave it a go just to see what all the hype was about. Anyways, this show is about Italian Americans who grew up in New Jersey. Are they even all Italian? who knows but from what I saw they just party, go to clubs and sleep with girls/guys. What’s so popular about this you ask?… I couldn’t tell you; but what I can tell you is there is more to life than just partying on a daily basis. But after watching one episode I decided to watch another because I found it very entertaining. After watching this episode I realized why this is so popular to some people. First off popular culture is activities of everyday life, a shared experience, entertainment and a bunch of other things out together. From a cheesy perspective them partying, drinking and having fun is popular culture in a way. The content of popular culture can change from time to time and our perceptions change with it. Personal taste and demographics play a part in it too. I think it has a negative and positive representation on people because some people have different preferences. I can’t lie, it did rub off on me after the first episode. There’s something about a group of teenagers having fun that is appealing. Enjoy the preview below!

I was randomly browsing the internet today when I came across a disturbing video of a young boy being whipped by his uncle. The boy was supposedly posting inappropriate things on “facebook” about being involved in a gang, which he later admitted was a lie. He was disciplined, on tape, with vigorous belt lashings from his uncle. Firstly, this is clearly child abuse and definitely shouldn’t have made its way to the internet. The internet is a global system that serves billions of people around the world which is a good and bad thing at the same time. This is a horrible thing to see and is completely uncalled for. “Youtube” is one of the world’s biggest video-sharing websites where people can upload and share videos everyone in the world to see. This shared experience is proof that the content of popular culture has changed over time, as well as the way we perceive it.

Just reading some of the comments about the video really made me think about how and why people perceive horrible situations as something funny.

The fact that people are applauding this violent act is wrong. This shows that popular culture has changed over time. Yes, a spanking with the use of an item was looked at as discipline at one point and time, but it was later outlawed and labeled as abuse. When you look at both sides of the situation you realize that the kid was wrong for what he did but the way it was handled was a poor choice. This video has over 3 million views and from the comments I’ve read this is humorous to most people. The internet is a powerful tool but the display of this video and the reactions that came from it really makes you wonder about what the state of popular culture is today.

Popular culture today is often portrayed in a way that affects most people’s lives. The show “Americas Next Top Model” is a source of popular culture that, in my opinion, influences the lives of young females. Not only is “Americas … Continue reading →